Los Angeles history

Wife's Shooting Was an Accident, Finch Says

July 30, 1959: People line up to get into a hearing in the Finch case.

Photograph by John Malmin / Los Angeles Times

July 30, 1959: West Covina Police Capt. William Ryan, left, and Sheriff's Det. Ray Hopkinson take Carole Tregoff from the Hall of Justice to West Covina.

Feb. 4, 1960: Dr. R Bernard Finch takes the stand in his murder trial. Under questioning from defense attorney Grant B. Cooper, Finch denies murdering Barbara Jean Finch and says she was shot accidentally when he "started to throw the revolver." Only the Page 1 portion of the story was saved on microfilm.